Ubuntu

A new Linux kernel has been made available for Ubuntu 15.04 (Vivid Vervet) and the developers are also tracking the current 3.19 branch of the kernel, which will eventually be adopted after it reaches a stable state.

Canonical, the company behind the open source cross-platform operating system Ubuntu, released its annual cloud and server survey this week that seeks to cast more light on the makeup of cloud infrastructure, how it is managed, and what is driving cloud adoption.

Canonical said it surveyed 3,100 customers, most of whom are Ubuntu server and cloud users, about the makeup of their cloud infrastructure and how it is being used.

When we laid out our featured article on things you need to do after installing Ubuntu 14.10, we shared a few little issues we have had with the latest Ubuntu release. Well things got worse, and I decided to try something else for a change. I've been using elementary OS Freya as my daily driver since then. And I have to say, I'm mighty impressed so far. And the fact that Freya is still very much in beta makes the whole affair all the more interesting. A list of reasons why I prefer elementary OS Freya over Ubuntu 14.10 at the moment.

Canonical has revealed that the previous update for Firefox has introduced a regression for Ubuntu 12.04 LTS, Ubuntu 14.04 LTS, and Ubuntu 14.10. A new version of the browser has been released and now the users can also upgrade their Firefox browser.

The developers of the Ubuntu Linux operating system for desktop, notebook, and server computers are working on a touch-friendly version for smartphones and tablets, with the first Ubuntu phones expected to go on sale this year.

Mobie is a new kind of 2-in-1 tablet developed in Finland that is capable to dual-boot Ubuntu 14.04 LTS and Windows 8.1. It's being launched in a couple of months and it already looks very good, at least on paper.

In the meantime, even if Meizu was the first company to confirm the release of an Ubuntu phone, it looks like Bq beat them to the punch, although they are aiming at different users. The specs detailed by Canonical show that Aquarius E4.5 is an affordable device with medium hardware specs. It doesn't seem like much, but it's addressed at people who don't want to spend too much on a high-end phone, but still want to own a smartphone.

Unity 8 for Ubuntu is coming along and Mir is also making good progress. One of the byproduct of all these improvements is that some of the apps that are designed for the Ubuntu Touch are also working on the Ubuntu desktop, with very little help.

Compiz was implemented by default in Ubuntu MATE 15.04 Alpha 2 and the developers have decided to put in some extra effort and make it available for Ubuntu MATE 14.10 and Ubuntu MATE 14.04 LTS, albeit it's still under testing.

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